Greek Myth Retold
by MethodicEarth
Summary: A retelling of the classic Greek myth of Hades and Persephone told for the rarepair BelaMano.


Long ago, with the dawn of man, there were three gods. Feliciano, the God over them all. Romeo, the God of the seas. And, lastly for most people, Lovino, the God of the Underworld. They each chose their positions and they each did their jobs well.

After a while, they each grew lonely. Feliciano took a spouse, but his heart yearned for more, and he often abused his powers to chase after men and women alike. Romeo had many lovers and many children, but he never took a singular spouse.

Lovino yearned for the daughter of another God, a flower goddess with the name of Natasha. She was simultaneously as warm as the sun yet as cold as the harshest winter. Unlike his brothers, Lovino never used his powers to deceive and take Natasha for his own. Instead, he waited for the right moment.

One day, when Natasha had wandered off alone, Lovino appeared in front of her. He made it clear that she was not going to come to harm, but that he had seen her for quite a time and that he wished for her to stay with him as goddess of the Underworld. Naturally, she initially refused him, but he managed to convince her to spend a few days in the Underworld to see if it would ever be to her liking with the condition that if she wished to stay there, she would need to stay by his side forever. In order to do so, she would need to eat three pomegranate seeds from the fruit of the tree in his garden.

Natasha agreed to the conditions, and Lovino summoned a dark chariot led by skeletonized horses. Without laying a hand on her, he took her down into the Underworld where she began her stay.

The first day was uncomfortable for them both. Lovino was wracked with worry and Natasha was lightly unnerved by the dead souls that lived there. The second day, she didn't seem as troubled by the spirits as she had before, yet Lovino was still shaking anxiously.

The third day, he took Natasha on a tour of the Underworld, showing her the river Styx and the gates to Hell, protected by the three-headed dog Cerberus. She seemed amused by the beast and the other sights to see in the Underworld.

The fourth day, Lovino decided on the best course of action. If Natasha did not choose to stay with him by the end of the day, he would allow her to go back home to her mother and the other gods. He let her know this, but she seemed largely disinterested. Emotionally distraught, Lovino hid in his chambers to sulk for the rest of the day.

Eventually, the sun went down and the time was up. He quietly exited his room to wander about the Underworld when he found a sight that truly stunned him. Natasha was sitting there, on his throne, carefully picking seeds from an open pomegranate and popping them into her mouth. When he questioned what she was doing, she simply stated "Accepting your offer." He questioned further as to why and she replied that she would never have the freedom that he had shown her if she returned to Olympus. He had shown her something that she had never truly known before, and for that she felt love for him.

As the days had been passing, Natasha's mother had been furious. Lovino had stolen her daughter without her permission and she demanded justice from Feliciano. Feliciano, having seen the contract between Lovino and Natasha, said that he couldn't help, as contacts between gods could not be broken. When Natasha found out about her mothers fit, she agreed to spend most of the year with her mother. As time went on, she started spending less time with her mother and more time with Lovino in the Underworld. One day, her mother relented and relinquished her authority over Natasha.

From that day forward, she lived happily with Lovino, who always treated her with respect as his equal. Unlike his brothers, he never looked for another woman or man to satisfy him, as he was fully satisfied by her. He respected her and she respected him. Together, they ruled the Underworld efficiently, albeit with quite a bit of sass.

Never once did Natasha regret eating the pomegranate seeds.


End file.
